A Berkemeyer is a drinking glass with a wide, flared bowl, dating from 15th-century

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, and still made today. They have a characteristic green or yellow colour caused by iron impurities in the sand used for glass production. The thick, hollow stem is covered with

prunt A prunt is a small blob of glass fused to another piece of glass. Prunts are applied primarily as decoration, but also help provide a firm grip in the absence of a handle. Prunts may be impressed into decorative shapes, such as raspberries, blac ...

s providing a secure grip for hands greasy from feasting, similar to the

römer The Römer (German surname, "Roman") is a medieval building in the Altstadt of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and one of the city's most important landmarks. The Römer is located opposite the Old St. Nicholas church and has been the city hall ('' ...

. Berkemeyers were originally carved from

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...

tree branches (''berkemei'') and were provided with lids. The prunts on the stems of glasses reminded drinkers of the rough bark of the wooden beakers, hence the association. They were frequently depicted in still lifes of table settings by the

Dutch masters Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history roughly spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) for Dutch independence. The new Dutch Repub ...

in the 17th and 18th centuries. Frans_Hals_-_Brustbild_eines_lachenden_Knaben_mit_Weinglas

File:Engraved berkemeyer - Vincens tu - Anna Roemers Visscher - Rijksmuseum - BK-NM-8186.jpg, Engraving by Anna Roemers Visscher (1646)

References

Drinkware {{drinkware-stub